1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing machine, and more particularly to a hand-operable pad-type printing machine adapted for printing designs or lettering on a relatively small amount of articles.
2. Description of Prior Art
The pad-press type printing machines are well known and widely used in printing designs or lettering on articles. This type of printing machine is provided with a pad for transferring ink from a printing surface to an article. In addition an inking plate and doctor blade are provided. For mass printing use the pad, the inking plate, and the doctor blade are automatically operated by means of an electric motor and a pneumatic cylinder.
For small printing use a hand-operable type is also known and used. This type of machine is provided with (1) a driving section whereby either of a pad or a carrier on which the printing surface and article are mounted is horizontally moved so as to enable the pad to locate above the printing surface and article, and (2) a press section whereby the pad is pressed to the printing surface and the article. The application of ink to the printing surface and the removal of superfluous ink therefrom are manually carried out.
There is another pad-type printing machine which is provided with a lever whereby the pad is circularly moved, in association with which the carrier holding the printing surface and article are reciprocally moved in a plane so that the pad and the printing surface are alternately pressed to the article. The application of ink to the printing surface and the removal of a superfluous ink are mechanically operated in association with the movement of the carrier.
The first-mentioned hand-operated pad-type printing machine is disadvantageous in that the operator must use his both hands to operate the driving section and the press section, and that the application of ink to the printing surface and the removal of superfluous ink must be also carried out by hand. This is labor- and time-consuming, and reflects in the cost.
The last-mentioned printing machine may have an increased efficiency because the operation of a single lever effects all the working steps, but the printing precision is sacrificed because of the circular movement of the pad which is likely to cause misalignment between the printing surface and the pad.